Ajay Bharadwaj

Chandigarh: The first round of panchayat and zila parishad elections in Punjab on Monday saw the ruling Akali Dal-BJP alliance cracking at the grass root level as both partners crossed swords with each other, causing violence at more than a dozen places.

Akali Dal-BJP workers clashed fiercely in Bathinda, Ludhiana and Tarn Taran districts, resulting in injuries to about 30 persons. In Tarn Taran, Akali workers reportedly fired at BJP party men, injuring 13 of them.

Perturbed over the developments, state BJP leaders have called an urgent meeting of the party MLAs on Tuesday and have apprised party president Rajnath Singh of the situation.

The party’s central observer Balbir Punj will arrive here today to take stock of the situation.

Senior BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia said Akali Dal leaders have put up a violent opposition to BJP, mainly because they did not like the party making in-roads in rural Punjab.

Apprehending physical violence against its candidates, BJP had urged DGP NPS Aulakh to provide security cover to them. BJP candidates are contesting 54 zila parishad and 380 block samiti seats.

Kalia had a taste of Akali opposition in the Bathinda-Mansa belt where he canvassed for the party candidates last week. He noticed that Akalis were deliberately disrupting meetings organised by BJP workers.

Kalia said BJP was receiving response from people far better than the expectations of the party.

“People in the countryside turn up at our rallies in good numbers and they are keen to know about our party,” he said.

Obviously, it is causing some heart burn to the Akalis, who have a strong base in rural areas.

The BJP-SAD rift over panchayat elections in Punjab had reached a flash point on Sunday when Punjab Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker and senior BJP leader Satpal Gosain complained to the state Election Commission that he apprehended booth-capturing and poll-rigging by Akalis.

The deputy speaker, who is in charge of Ludhiana and Moga constituencies for BJP, alleged that the local administration in Ludhiana was openly helping SAD candidates.

He demanded the removal of SSP (Vigilance Bureau) Kanwarjit Singh and SHO Balbir Singh who, he alleged, were helping the SAD candidate from Baddowal. The deputy speaker shared his apprehension with the election commissioner as well.

“I have travelled to some parts and it is sad that at many places BJP workers are being threatened either directly by the SAD candidate or by the local administration,” he added.

Gosain has also called all BJP party men who had “suffered” at the hands of SAD workers in these elections for a meeting on May 16.

“The next course of action will be decided once we have the total picture before us,” he said.

In a written complaint to the election commissioner, the deputy speaker has alleged that the Baddowal zone of the zila parishad in Ludhiana is very sensitive.

“Local MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik, SSP Kanwarjit Singh and SHO of Mullanpur Dhaka, Balbir Singh, who is also residing in the area, are working for the SAD candidates. In South City, Ayali Khurd the MLA and the administration are getting construction work done in people’s houses in violation of the model code of conduct,” he alleged, adding, “High-level booth-capturing will be done in Baddowal in Ludhiana.”

In response to the complaint, the secretary, state Election Commission, Yashvir Mahajan has ordered the DIG of Ludhiana to make arrangements for extra security in the zone and ensure that the electors can exercise their franchise freely and without any element of fear.

Source : DNA